Spring-actuated target throwing device



Jan. 7, 1969 E. J. RAHBERGER SPRING-ACTUATED TARGET THROWING DEVICE Sheet Filed Dec. 13, 1965 EDWARD J. RAHBERGER INVENTOR.

BY ATT'Y SPRING-ACTUATED TARGET THROWING DEVICE Filed Dec. 13, 1965 Sheet 2 EDWARD- J. RAHBERGER INVENTOR BY ATT'Y United States Patent 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device adapted for use in aerial target shooting such as practiced in trap and skeet shooting contests, and more particularly to a device especially designed for control and operation by an individual in throwing his own targets in contrast to trap-shooting practices at gun clubs and other target ranges where targets are thrown by a hired individual, at the command of the contestant, from concealed apparatus remotely located ahead of or to one side of the firing line. A torsion spring has one end forming the target throwing arm which can be latched. The other end of the spring forms a handle which is rotated, while the throwing arm is latched, to load the spring.

This invention relates generally to devices adapted for use in aerial target shooting such as practiced in trap and skeet shooting contests, and more particularly to a device especially designed for control and operation by an individual in throwing his own targets in contests to trapshooting practices at gun clubs and other target ranges where targets are thrown by a hired individual, at the command of the contestant, fiom concealed apparatus remotely located ahead of or to one side of the firing line.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a device of the character described which is of simple, eflicient, durable and inexpensive construction, operationally powerful and accurate in throwing targets considerable distances within trajectory ranges of selective high and low angles at the will of the operator and simulating those encountered, for example, in low angle quail shooting, those simulating the flight of pheasants and similar upland game birds and those of maximum trajectory simulating the flight of high flying birds such as ducks and geese.

An important economic feature of the invention resides in new and novel means which render the device capable of throwing discarded empty beverage cans, empty bottles' and other such containers, otherwise worthless after their intended use, just as far and as accurately as conventional targets purchased at market prices and thrown by elaborate and expensive gun club equipment.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and in which.

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a target throwing device made in accordance with my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of FIGURE 1 with fragments broken away.

FIGURE 2A illustrates diagrammatically, on a greatly reduced scale, the range of selective high and low angles of target trajectory.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the right hand end of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a view on a reduced scale showing diagrammatically the manner in which the device is loaded with a projectile for discharge on a trajectory as illustrated in broken lines in FIGURE 4A and in full lines in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a modification in the form of an adapter for throwing conventional clay pigeons or targets of a similar nature, and

FIGURE 6 is a rear elevational view of FIGURE 5.

With continuing reference to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts, reference numeral 1 indicates generally a normally horizontal base comprising a forward section 2 and a rearward section 3 both hingedly interconnected as at 4 (FIG. 2).

A frame indicated generally at 6, comprising side walls 7-8 and a rear wall 9, is secured to the forward base section 2 by bolts 10 extending through the bottom flange 11 of the frame 6. The side Walls 7 and 8 have aligned openings 12 therethrough surrounded by annular flanges 13 and 14 through which extend the coils of spiral springs 15-16 interconnected as at 17 and each terminating in normally parallel rearwardly extending arms 18 and 19 sometimes hereinafter referred to respectively as a power arm and a load arm or throwing arm.

The throwing arm 19 is adapted for cocked engagement (FIG. 3) with a detent in the form of a disk 22 rotatably mounted to the rear wall 9 of the frame 6 by a shoulder bolt 23. The disk is undercut as at 24 at one side and provided with a diametrically opposed outwardly opening recess 25 at the other. A stud 25A secured to and extending outwardly from wall 9 serves as a limit stop for rotating disk 22 in a clockwise direction.

Cooperating with the undercut 24 of disk 22 is the up turned inner end 26 of a trigger arm 27 swingably attached as at 28 to the rear Wall 9 and extending outwardly from one side thereof as at 29 for actuation by either foot of a user.

I he trigger arm 27 is held in the full line position shown 'by a tension spring 30 whose one end is attached as at 31 to the trigger arm with its top end attached as at 32 to a lip 33 struck downwardly and outwardly from the top of the rear wall 9.

Secured as at 35 to the rear wall 9 and extefiding outwardly and upwardly relative to the side wall 8 is an arm 36 for guiding the throwing arm 19 downwardly into engagement with'the disk 22 for rotating the same to move the recess 25 from its dotted to full line position.

Preparatory to loading the device with whatever type of target is to be used, the spring assembly 1516 and arms 18-19, normally freely rotatable as a unit relative to the annular flanges 13-14, are rotated rearwardly or to the right as viewed in FIG. 2, causing the throwing arm 19 to move downwardly and curve inwardly (FIG.' 3) along the cam-like surface of guide arm 36 against the disk 22 and by so doing rotate the disk in a counterclockwise direction to bring the recess 25 into hooked engage ment with arm 19 as shown in full lines. The disk is now held against spring-urged clockwise rotation by engagement of the upturned end 26 of trigger arm 27 with the undercut 24 of the disk 22.

Power loading of throwing arm 19 by torsional spring loading of the coil springs 1516 is readily accomplished by forcing the power arm 18 upwardly and forwardly from its rearwardly extending relaxed position shown in FIG. 1 to its limit of forward movement (FIG. 2) determined by the selective setting of a detent 40 in the arcuately arranged apertures in the side Wall 7 of the frame 6. To facilitate this power-loading operation the reach of the lever arm or power arm 18 is extended by the attachment thereto of any suitable type of handle 18A. The detent 40 comprises an angle bracket secu-rable by a bolt or the like as at 46 to the frame side wall 7 by means of the aperture 45 in the wall. The outwardly extending horizontal flange of the angle bracket has an outwardly opening and lengthwise extending recess therein, as' shown, for receiving and holding the power arm 18 3 when the same reaches its power loaded vertical position shown in FIGURE 2.

The modified form of target throwing adapter shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 comprises a base platform 48 having a downwardly extending tubular extension 51 for securement to the load arm 19A by any suitable type of set screw 52. A laterally disposed throwing arm in the form of a flat plate 53, flanged along one of its edges as M54, is swingably attached to the platform 48 by a shoulder bolt 56 and operable from the full to broken line positions shown between limit stops 5859. The plate 53 is normally tilted and thus gravitationally swung rearward relative to the frame 6 and temporarily so held preparatory to throwing because of the rearward inclination of the load arm 19A to which the platform 48 is secured. While in this rearward tilted position the plate 53 and flange 54 aided by a leaf spring 61 will hold a clay pigeon 62 or similarly shaped target upon the plate in position for discharge.

In this form of the invention, the load arm 19A performs in the same manner as its counterpart 19 in the other form of the invention and which when released by the trigger arm 27 will project the target. Similarly, load arm 19A when trigger-released will spring forward until stopped abruptly by a limit stop 65 secured as at 66 to the side wall 8 of frame 6. The face of the limit stop may be rubber surfaced or cushioned if desired to absorb the hammer-like impact of the load arm 19A. The targetcarrying plate 63 will remain in its rearwardly disposed position throughout its forward swing with the arm 19A until the arm strikes the limit stop 65, which will impart an accelerated snap-acting forward whipping action to plate 63 and thus lengthen the trajectory of the target 62.

As previously pointed out, the device is well adapted for throwing targets of many different types, such as empty beverage cans indicated at 38 in FIGURES 4-4A, and punctured at one end for placement over the free end of the throwing arm. Other targets such as empty bottles (not shown) or any other containers open at one end or having at least one opening therein may be used just as conveniently or effectively.

For selecting a trajectory within the range of high and low angles indicated respectively by broken and dotted lines in FIGURE 2A and for anchoring the base sections 2 and 3 accordingly, I provide the forward base section 2 with two vertically adjustable ground-engaging screws or bolts 68 and 69 (FIG. 2).

Bolt 68 is threaded through a nut 68A secured by a disk 70 to the top surface of the forward end of the base section 2 and provided at its bottom end with a swivel foot 72 operable within an opening 73 through the base section. The top end of this bolt is provided with a knurled head 75 for convenience in advancing or retracting the bolt on its threads.

The similar bolt 69 extends through a nut 77 welded or otherwise secured to the flange 11 of the rear frame wall 9 with its swivel 'foot 80 operable within an accommodating recess 81 in the base section.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a device which is of simple, efiicient, durable and rugged construction, operationally powerful and positive in throwing any usable object or target considerable distances within trajectory ranges of selective high and low angles.

While I have shown particular forms of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A target throwing device compirsing in combination,

a frame having a forward end and a rearward end,

spring means carried by the frame extending therethrough and having normally parallel end portions extending rearwardly of said frame,

one of said end portions comprising a target carrying load arm and the other a power arm,

a first detent means carried by said frame and engaging said load arm for resisting loading of said spring means by said power arm,

a second detent comprising a bracket carried by and extending outwardly from said frame and having a recess therein adapted to receive and hold said power arm upon completion of said spring loading, and

trigger means carried by said frame for releasing said load arm from said first detent means.

2. A target throwing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises a coil spring, and wherein said spring loading is by torsional winding of the spring by lever action of said power arm against the resistance of said load arm when engaged with said first detent.

3. A target throwing device as claimed in claim 1 including a base,

means mounting said frame upon the base,

and wherein said target carrying load arm includes a plate,

means swingably attaching said plate at one of its ends to the load arm,

spring urged means releasably holding a target at the opposite end of said plate whereby centrifugal force applied to said plate and the offset relationship of the target to said load arm, upon trigger release will impart a forward snap action to said plate and said target.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 305,116 9/1884 Teipel 12443 3,213,842 10/1965 Laney 124-36 3,254,639 6/1966 Laird 124-7 FOREIGN PATENTS 993,310 5/1965 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

